LOGINNICO
The first thing I notice when I wake up isn’t the sunlight or the birds or whatever poetic crap normal people notice.
It’s my dick.
And it’s very, very awake.
I lie there for a minute, staring at the ceiling like maybe the ceiling will explain why I’m starting my day like this. It doesn't.
Morning wood is supposed to be random biology, right? Well, mine’s got a name, an address, and an ego the size of Russia
Sasha.
Why the hell would it be him?
I glare at my dick “Seriously, dude?”
My subconscious has apparently decided to run an exclusive early morning Sasha programme.
Broad shoulders, lean waist, arms that could snap me in half but probably wouldn’t because he enjoys dragging it out. I can practically feel the weight of him, the heat. And those hands…
God, those hands. Big enough to palm my throat. Strong enough to hold me there. I squeeze my eyes shut, and yeah, that’s a bad idea, because now I’m picturing it.
And now I’m doing something about it.
I work myself, slow and deliberate, because apparently I hate myself and like to marinate in the problem. Every stroke just sharpens the mental image: Sasha’s weight pressing me down, his voice low and annoyed like he’s giving me one last chance to behave—and we both know I won’t.
My grip tightens without me telling it to, and my knuckles whiten as I drag my fist slowly from base to tip, just to feel that twitchy, impatient ache build.
The room is quiet except for my breathing. It's like am starring in my own low-budget p**n where the only plot is ‘Nico makes bad choices before breakfast”
I imagine his hand instead of mine. Rougher, bigger and more calloused in places that would scrape just right. My pulse jumps, and my hips follow like they’ve got their own agenda.
It’s ridiculous how clear I can see it: the press of his palm over my throat, the steady weight that says you’re not going anywhere. My back arches, chasing the pressure that’s not even there, teeth gritted like I can will it into existence.
Every shift of my hand is another memory — the cut of his glare when I pushed too far.
I’m breathing harder now, thighs tense, stomach pulling tight as I twist my wrist just enough to make my toes curl. I’m right there, teetering, and I don’t even fight it.
When it hits, it’s sharp, a gut-punch release that drags a groan out of me I’d deny under oath. Hot and messy across my stomach, every muscle jerking like I’ve been yanked out of my own body for a second.
For a moment, I just lie there, breathing hard, staring at the ceiling like maybe it’ll have something to say about the fact I just started my morning jerking off to the human equivalent of a smug smirk.
I should feel relaxed. Clean slate. Ready to start my day.
Instead, irritation simmers in my chest.
Not at the orgasm. That was fine. Perfect, even.
No, I’m irritated because it’s him.
Why would it be him?.
I grit my teeth. This is pathetic. I could think about literally anyone else. Celebrities, random bartenders, my high school gym teacher (okay, no, not that). But nope, it’s him.
By the time I drag myself out of bed, pull on sweatpants, and wander downstairs, I’ve decided I’m not going to look at him. I’m going to get coffee, maybe stare at my phone, and mind my own business.
Which is obviously why the first thing I do is look straight at him.
He’s in the living room, shirtless, mid-workout. Because of course he is. Sweat is sliding down his chest in slow, perfect lines, catching the light like some cheap action movie scene. Every push-up makes his back muscles flex like a damn anatomy lesson, and I have to consciously remind myself that murder is illegal, because no one should be allowed to look that good before I’ve had caffeine.
I try to tell myself that I'm not ogling him, because I'm not. I'm watching the enemy…. Pathetic, I know.
I don't know what it is about him that's got my knickers in a twist. And the guy clearly said he wasn't gay. Hell, I wasn't even fully gay before yesterday. I mean, I always knew I was bisexual. I did try it once, or twice, because why limit myself to one flavour when I can have them all?. But I've never fully come out as bi.
Now? I don't know.
The guy treats the dirt on his shoe better than he treats me, and I don't know why I find that hot. What is wrong with me?.
I should be focusing on my coffee or the door. Or literally anything that doesn’t involve tracking the bead of sweat sliding down his throat. But my gaze keeps dragging back, like I’m hooked, like he’s reeling me in without even trying.
It’s not in admiration. Not exactly. It’s… assessment.
Predator clocking another predator.
Because there’s a way he moves, controlled, that says he doesn’t just train to look good. He trains for the kill.
My arms stay folded, casual, like I’m just passing time. Inside, every nerve’s coiled tight, tuned to the rhythm of his body. His tank rides up just enough to flash the pale scar across his ribs, the kind that tells a story without giving away the ending. I want to know it. I also don't want to care. I don’t care.
My dick twitches, like it's saying ‘yeah you do’. Come on buddy, you have to be on my side.
And then there are his hands.
Veined, scarred and strong. The kind of hands that could pin you down or pull you up. Depending on which side of him you’re on. Perfect for… yeah. That.
My hand tightens on the bannister because my brain has decided now’s a great time to play the reel of something I never asked for.
Different hands. Pale fingers digging in until the world went spotty at the edges. A voice that was supposed to be holy, saying things that still make my skin crawl.
I drag myself back to the present before it pulls me under.
I already crawled out of that place, I'm not going back.
Sasha drops from the bar and lands with the kind of silent control that makes me want to mess up his wardrobe, just for sport. He wipes his hand on his shorts and doesn't even glance in my direction.
Or m
aybe he is looking at me, and he’s just too good at pretending he’s not.
Sasha’s POVThe foyer was cold from the open door, but the second Niko steps inside and I shut it behind him, the air shifts and becomes warmer and heavier, charged even. He brushes snow from his hair, shakes it off his shoulders like a dog, then looks up at me with that same infuriating half smile that makes me want to punch him and kiss him at the same time.“Cozy,” he says, glancing around. “I think I missed this place.”I don't answer. What the fuck am I supposed to answer to that? He thinks? He's not even sure. I lean against the door, arms folded, watching him.He takes the hints or ignores it and starts unbuttoning his suit jacket slowly and deliberately.“You know,” he says, his voice low, “I've been thinking about this place a lot, specifically about the way I felt while staying here.”My jaw tightens. He hangs the jacket on the coat rack, rolls his sleeves up to the elbow.“I've been imagining a lot of things these past few days.”I clear my throat.“Don't you have an empir
Sasha’s POVI am unable to move. I continue standing in the open doorway, arms crossed, letting the cold bite at my skin while snow swirls in around my feet. Niko stays at the bottom of the steps, looking up at me with that half-smile that used to and still does drive me insane in the best way.He doesn't say anything else. Just waits there, his hands still in his pockets, while snow collects on his shoulders like he has all the time in the world. Doesn't he have like an empire to lead? What am I supposed to do now? I could just invite him in and let whatever he has planned to play out. Or I could just ignore him. Yes, I will ignore him. I step back, shut the door firmly and walk away. Yup, that should do the trick. Four minutes later my phone buzzes.Nico: You're really gonna leave me out here?I stare at the screen, jaw tight. How did he even get my number in the first place?Me: If I have to.Nico: But it's cold out here (sad emoji)Me: I fail to see how that's my problem.Nico: Th
Sasha's POV The last captain closes the door behind him with a quiet click, and the house drifts into silence.I stay seated at the head of the long table a moment longer, staring at the scattered maps and burner phones like they might give me answers. Boris's absence has already been explained away; "tragic accident abroad, body unrecoverable." No one dared to ask questions.I push back my chair and walk to the sideboard, pour two fingers of vodka into a heavy crystal glass. Neat. I welcome the burn out as it dulls out the edges of this place.This house has felt weird everyday for the past seven months. Too big and quiet. I still catch myself I listening for his footsteps on the stairs, his low laugh echoing from the kitchen, the creak of the bed when he rolled over in his sleep and reached for me.I haven’t set foot in my bedroom since and yet I still keep it clean for reasons that are unknown to me. The guest room down the hall has become my exile.I take the drink to the window,
The back door of the SUV slams with a finality that echoes in the empty lot. Sasha doesn’t waste a second. He shoves me down across the wide back seat, climbing over me like a predator who’s been leashed too long. The tinted windows are already fogging from the heat rolling off us.I hit the leather hard, breath punched out, and he’s on me—knees bracketing my hips, hands ripping my jacket open, buttons scattering like gunfire. His mouth crashes into mine, brutal and starving, teeth scraping my lower lip until I taste copper. I kiss him back just as viciously, fingers digging into his hair, yanking him closer.“Fuck, Nico,” he growls against my mouth. “I’ve been aching for this since we drove to that warehouse.”He grinds down, letting me feel how hard he is, and I groan into the kiss, hips bucking up to meet him. His hands are everywhere—shoving my shirt up, nails raking down my chest, leaving hot lines that sting perfectly. He bites my collarbone, hard enough to bruise, then soothes
Chapter 63: Left Knee Or RightNico's POV We track Boris to a quiet dacha on the edge of Macau. An old safe house that would seem unoccupied if we didn’t know he was in there right now. Sasha drives. I ride shotgun, watching the snow-dusted pines slide past the windows. Neither of us speak much. We don’t need to, actually.We took three more days to dig into what we had. The offshore accounts. The call logs. The CCTV stills of him handing envelopes to my father’s driver. Boris has been bleeding the Bratva for almost a year.We park half a kilometer out, kill the lights, and walk the rest of the way there. Snow crunches under our boots. The air is sharp enough to cut lungs. The dacha is dark except for one window near the kitchen. Through the glass, we see him at the table, a vodka bottle in hand, half empty. He’s alone in there.Sasha signals for me to circle left. He goes right.I slip in through the back door, which is unlocked. Obviously, Boris thinks he’s untouchable. He doesn’t
Chapter 62: Walk out and disappear' Nico's POV We’ve been at it for three days straight, holed up in the warehouse, fueled by black coffee and takeout. I must say, the last three days have been pretty awkward—but not the bad type of awkward. The satisfying type. After seven whole months, three days of awkwardly existing around Sasha almost feel like heaven. It would be literal heaven if he didn’t shoot lasers with his eyes at me whenever I so much as breathe loudly.It’s still very hard to adjust to staying back here in Greece. We both decided not to head back to our respective syndicates. Me, because I’d have to leave Sasha’s side again, and there was no telling how long we’d be apart. The idea alone was scary. I have no idea why Sasha agreed to stay behind.Of course, the obvious reason would be to find who exactly our rat is, but some part of me keeps telling me that’s not it. I don’t want to get my hopes up, so there will be no optimistic thoughts.I also half expected Sasha to







